This disclosure relates to a barrier film, methods of manufacture thereof and to articles comprising the same.
Barrier films are useful for minimizing the transmission of oxygen and water vapor through the film to products that are contained in packaging made from the barrier film. Fruit and produce containers are often filled for transport and later stacked on site for display and/or storage purposes. As such, there are a variety of container configurations which facilitate the ability to stack multiple containers. Corrugated paperboard has been used for many years as a starting material to produce containers. Containers of corrugated paperboard include a single piece tray design having a bottom wall, two side walls, and two end walls, each hinged to the bottom wall. A single piece of corrugated paperboard will be cut and scored to form a flat blank that will then be erected into a container.
However, corrugated containers are prone to damage which occurs during handling, stacking, or impact by equipment or other materials. Further, since many paperboard containers are shipped or stored under refrigerated conditions, ambient moisture absorbed by the container often weakens the container to the point that its utility is compromised.
In addition, retailers prefer to use the shipping container for direct display for consumer sales. Typical corrugated containers used for this purpose often have minimal aesthetic properties. Further, such containers tend to be rapidly soiled by the container's contents, which further reduce the appearance of the packaging and retail display.
There remains a need to provide a container for transporting produce that has increased durability, greater strength, is more economical to store and ship, and is readily recyclable in conventional re-pulping operations. Accordingly, there remains room for improvement and variation within the art.